Echos of Gendered Voices, Feminist Politics and Social Transformation in Nigerian Literary Scene

Women in Nigeria have over the years played vital roles in fostering national growth and development which are important for sustainable transformation of progressive society. However, the phenomenon of gender inequality, a systemic aberration rooted in the long-entrenched sociocultural norms tends to persist and continues to relegate women to second-fiddle roles in most parts of African societies. By employing feminist literary theory as an analytical parameter, this study examines the contributions of Nigerian women writers in reshaping gender narratives in the last few decades. The paper examines the imperatives of creative works as means of awareness creation and as mobilisations strategies towards resisting patriarchal oppression. The study closely interrogates patriarchal stereotypes and strategies of reimaging female characters within the evolving sociopolitical, socio-economic, and cultural realities portrayed in literary texts, particularly those of women writers in the Nigerian literary ferment. The study thus underscores the transformative power of literature in advancing inclusive development and addressing critical needs of society. It finds out that the push for gender equality is a critical catalyst for national development just as contemporary literature increasingly mirrors gender-based sociocultural anomalies in society. The paper thus concludes that equitable representation of women’s presence in narratives as depicted in literary tests and in reality will not only reflect but will actively accelerate societal progress and drive Nigeria’s developmental aspirations to greater heights.

Keywords: Gender Equality Women's Voices Nigerian Literary Scene National Development

Author

• Elizabeth N. Enukora
  Department of Languages,
  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,
  Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna
  lizzyenukora@yahoo.com